Tangled (ZoSan style)
by MerryAnchor16
Summary: Locked away in the highest room of the tallest tower, with 70 foot long hair and Luffy the chameleon for company, Sanji wants nothing more than to see those strange floating lights that appear on his birthday every year and a certain green haired bandit may be his key to freedom. (Eventual Zosan). Features Tangled songs!
1. Prologue

**AN: A project from my Tumblr. I love ZoSan, I love Tangled, so have this: Zosan Tangled style~! :D**

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Prologue: A note from the narrator of this story.

This is the story of how I died. Don't worry, this is actually a pretty fun story and the truth is, it isn't even mine. This is the story of a guy named Sanji.

But, before we go into any of that, let me fill you in on the details in a short story. Trust me, everything makes more sense if you hear it. So, right then. Okay.

Once upon a time in a far away kingdom not all that long ago lived a king and a queen. The queen was pregnant and the everyone in the city was happy. But then, one day, she became sick... Really, really sick... The king, desperate, sort out the cure- a magical flower with the ability to heal any sickness. But such a flower was incredibly rare and time was short.

By some luck, they managed to find the flower just in time and they gave it to their queen whom was instantly made well again. But what they didn't know was that they'd caused hatred and greed. An old woman, who'd been using the flower to keep herself eternally youthful, was angry that the plant had been taken from her. But she knew that if the queen had consumed the flower whilst with child then there was a high chance of its magical properties being passed on to the baby. With that in mind, she headed for the castle.

The queen gave birth to a beautiful baby boy with the most blond hair and most blue eyes anyone had ever seen. They named him Sanji and the whole kingdom was very happy.

However, one night, that old woman crept into the sleeping chamber and, with a pair of scissors, took a lock of hair from the baby's head. She planned to keep the lock and sing to it, as that was the way to activate the flower's magic but, what she didn't expect was the hair to go a dark dirtied blond. She realised that if she cut the hair the magic died so, telling herself she had no other option, she stole away into the night, taking the tiny prince with her. She locked him away in the highest room of the tallest tower, hidden in the woods where no one would ever find him- kept away from anyone who'd try to cut his hair or steal the magic of the flower.

The kingdom grieved at their loss. The queen fell sick again and passed away, dying from a broken heart. But the king never gave up hope. Every year, for the past nineteen years on Sanji's birthday, all the people of the kingdom lit and released glowing lanterns into the sky in the hope that he would see it and their lost prince would return to them.

So that's where this whole mess begins, I guess. My name is Zoro Roronoa, and this is the story of how I died.


	2. A Prince's and a Bandit's Dream

**AN: Chapter 1~ **

**disclaimer: When Will My Life Begin? belongs to Disney ^^**

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Chapter one

~A prince's and a bandit's dream~

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The little chameleon panicked, diving out of the gap between the two shutter doors and running along the window ledge to dive next to a plant pot, panting as it quickly turned a dark shade of brown to blend in and hide as the thud of footsteps raced up from the way he'd just came. The wooden shutters swung open wide and, with a cry of excitement, a man leaned out. He looked around with two blue eyes, narrowing them with a wicked smirk as his gaze fell on the plant pots. He brushed his long blond hair back from his shoulder and shrugged, "Hmm... Well, I guess Luffy's not hiding out here then..." He drawled and wandered away from the window and back inside, head turned and eyes still on the pots.

The little chameleon, Luffy, puffed a few quiet chuckles and peeped around the pot to see the young man had gone. He allowed himself a grin at his excellent choice of a hiding place. Suddenly, something wrapped tightly around his little tail and tugged up, snagging him out of his camouflage and his skin turned an alarming shade of red at having been caught by surprise and he hung, upside down and suspended in mid-air.

The young man popped up again in front of Luffy's face, holding an impossibly long strand of hair with his fingers which he'd used to lasso the little reptile. He laughed, "Gotcha!"

Luffy whined in disappointment and the blond lowered him back to the windowsill and flicked his wrist, the lock of hair unravelling from its hold. The man was tall and young in the face with large blue eyes and two eyebrows that seemed to curl in the same direction. He had pale skin with a few small freckles dotted across his nose and cheeks and a slim and lean body accented by the narrow cut of his deep purple jacket and black trousers. His blond hair that he had measured out of curiosity, flowed from the top of his head and swirled and looped all over the place at an incredible 70 feet long. He toyed at it by his ear with the fingers of one hand, the other poised on his jutted out hip. He tilted his head to the side.

"That's twenty two to me... How about we make it twenty three out of forty five?"

Luffy frowned and squeaked, rather bored of this game already. The blond, Sanji, rolled his eyes.

"Fine... Well, what do you want to do that's any better?" He asked.

Luffy perked up at that and used his tail to point at the scenery outside. Sanji looked out at it briefly and picked the reptile up to sit on his shoulder, "Nuh-uh... I like it in here," He indicated to the room behind him, "And so do you. It's safe in here," His eyes looked back at the lush meadow below and the patches of bold sunlight, "It's dangerous out there, you know that."

Luffy stuck out his tongue indignantly and Sanji sighed, "Come on, it's not so bad in there." He turned from the window and ran across, barefoot, on the tiled floor with locks upon locks of golden hair trailing after him and Luffy gripping on to his jacket. He jogged up the small staircase, using the height to spring onto the first of the crossbeams and paused to make sure none of his hair was caught before leaping to the next one a little higher up. He took a section of hair long enough into his hands and tossed it up so it hooked around a lever and pulled down, the gears releasing a roof door and the sunlight spilled in to brighten up the room. Sanji smiled and, still holding on, used the hair and lever to jump off the crossbeam and lower himself back to the ground. He placed Luffy onto the wooden table, it's surface covered in hand painted patterns that matched the graphics painted on the walls. Luffy cooed lightly; Sanji had sure grown to be an impressive artist and a cook too. The little reptile could almost taste the food he'd made before it arrived to the table.

Sanji brought the plate over and placed it in front of Luffy; half for him, half for the small chameleon. In his spare hand he held his acoustic guitar, covered in hand painted koi fish of all colours. When they'd finished breakfast, Luffy begging the blond for scraps having finished in under a minute, Sanji picked up his guitar.

"I wrote something new," He said and moved the plate aside so Luffy could sit in front him. The reptile looked up expectantly with brown eyes. Sanji cleared his throat and strummed out a chord before starting to sing,

"Seven am, the usual morning lineup:

Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean.

Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up

Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15."

With a sweep of his hand, the light strumming turned into stronger more melodic chords to match the build up of the chorus. Luffy tapped his tail on the tabletop in time to the beat and Sanji grinned, voice gaining strength and volume as he burst into melody.

"And so I'll read a book

Or maybe two or three

I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery

I'll play guitar and knit

And cook and basically

Just wonder when will my life begin?"

He led the way into a small break, resting his voice to crescendo the tune before falling into a diminuendo as the next verse rolled up.

"Then after lunch it's puzzles and darts and baking

Paper mache, a bit of ballet and chess

Pottery and ventriloquy, candle making," His voice gained power once more, strong and pitch perfect with the guitar harmonising beautifully, "Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, take a climb,

Sew a dress!

And I'll reread the books

If I have time to spare

I'll paint the walls some more,

I'm sure there's room somewhere.

And then I'll brush and brush,

and brush and brush my hair

Stuck in the same place I've always been.

And I'll keep wonderin' and wonderin'

And wonderin' and wonderin'

When will my life begin?"

Suddenly the bounciness and volume fled the tune into a quiet filled by the odd strum, soft and gentle. Luffy watched as Sanji looked up from the guitar and outside to the still open window and frowned slightly. His voice became so quiet it was more akin to a whisper.

"And tomorrow night,

Lights will appear

Just like they do on my birthday each year.

What is it like

Out there where they glow?

Now that I'm older,

Mother might just

Let me go ..."

Sanji stopped playing all together and his fingers released the neck of the guitar slowly, slipping from the fretboard unconsciously. Luffy whined sadly and looked at the farthest side of the room as the blond stared emptily outside to where a whole section of wall was painted deep black and blue with soft yellow circles illuminating the tiny painted figure of Sanji watching them at the bottom of the painting. He knew exactly what the young man wanted for his birthday.

* * *

The three men slid down the roof of the castle, booted feet scratching at the tiles. They jumped onto the next segment of roof one by one and made their way over to one of the small windows built into the tiles. One man, Eustass Kid, held open a satchel whilst the other, a man named Killer, dipped his hand in and took out a length of rope.

Whilst they were occupied, the third man took the opportunity to take in the early morning view the castle gave him of the whole city and the woods over the bridge. He hummed, "Heh, I could get used to a view like this..." He said wistfully, a tanned hand running through cropped green hair.

Eustass growled, "Roronoa, come on."

Zoro held up a hand to silence him, "Hold on... Che. Yep. I'm used to it." He turned with a sharp smirk and bright amber eyes as he looked at his two partners, "I want a castle."

Killer snorted from behind his blue and white mask, "Get this done right and you could buy your own castle."

Zoro chuckled, rubbing his hands together before taking the rope from the man and knotting it around his waist and belts. He placed his swords to the side as he stepped forwards, "Let's do this then."

"Wait! Hey, wait!" The guards screamed as Killer and Eustass hauled Zoro back onto the roof. The green haired bandit was smiling broadly as he showed the two men the Lost Prince's crown that had taken him less than 30 seconds to steal. The other two chuckled excitedly and Zoro slipped it into his satchel at his side, grabbing his swords. Eustass ran and leapt back onto the other roof, "Come on!" He yelled and Killer and Zoro followed back the way they had come.

When they'd made it to the bridge and realised the guards where ages behind them did Zoro talk, feet slapping on the cobblestones as he ran at the front of the trio, "Can't you just picture me in a castle of my own? I mean, I certainly can... Ah, all the things we've seen and it's only eight in the morning!" He laughed.

Killer and Eustass grumbled, far less ecstatic. Zoro smirked as they fled the track of the bridge and into the woods, "Guys, this is a very big day!"


	3. Mother Knows Best

**AN: Thank you for all the lovely reviews~! :D**

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Sanji stroked Luffy under the chin and jogged on his bare feet in anticipation, "This is it. This is a very big day, Luffy. I'm going to do it," He released a tense lungful of air, "I'm going to ask her!" He smiled. Luffy chattered happily in his ear in encouragement.

"SANJI!" A feminine voice called from the open window, "Let down your hair!"

Sanji ushered the little reptile to hide behind the pottery on the shelf above the stove, "Stay there and don't let her see you," He ordered and Luffy nodded.

The voice called again, "Sanji, I'm not getting any younger down here, you know!"

"Coming, mother!" Sanji shouted back down as he ran to the window, gathering up his hair in his arms as he did so and threw it up over a hook that jutted out above the window frame. It tumbled down and down, foot upon foot of beautiful golden locks until it came to rest just a few inches above the ground and dangled in front of the woman stood on the grass. Sanji waited for the familiar tug on his hair as she grabbed hold of it and used both his hands to haul her up the height of the tower. Sanji was panting with the exertion as she climbed through the window and into the room to put a basket on the table. He managed to catch his breath enough to get out a greeting, "W-welcome home, mother."

His mother pulled the hood of the dark cloak she wore off from around her beautiful face and smoothed out her blonde and brown hair. She had a few wrinkles around her eyes and mouth but she still somehow remained flawlessly young. Sanji had no idea how she stayed that perfect, it was amazing.

His mother, Kalifa, pouted at the still panting, long haired teen, "How do you manage to do that every single day, Sanji? It looks absolutely exhausting, darling," She asked.

Sanji shrugged, a small swell of pride in his chest from his mother's compliment, "Oh, it's nothing," He replied, being modest. Kalifa hummed,

"Then I don't know why it takes so long," She sang. Sanji's pride deflated at that and he blinked dumbly. Kalifa looked at the expression on his face and chuckled, moving over to pat his cheek softly, "Oh darling, I was just teasing."

She walked past to take off her cloak and fold it neatly, hanging it over the mirror on its stand. Sanji nodded to himself and let out an awkward and stiff laugh, just another one of his mother's jokes. She really did have a strange sense of humour... Then he remembered what he was going to ask, "Okay... Well, mother," He stepped over to linger behind her as she checked her reflection in the looking glass, "As you know, tomorrow is kind of a big day-"

Kalifa cut him off, she stepped aside slightly, "Sanji, take a look at this mirror." Sanji stared at his reflection, taking in his features, his height, his long hair...

"You know what I see?" Kalifa said, "I see a strong, confident, beautiful young person."

Sanji smiled softly at his mother's words to him. A happiness soon broken when she pointed, "Oh look, you're here too!" She began laughing again and Sanji toyed with the hem of his jacket self consciously. She waved her hand flippantly, "I'm just teasing, don't take everything so seriously."

"Okay..." Sanji mumbled, "So, mother. I was thinking that, tomorrow, we could-"

Kalifa turned with a sweet smile to him, "Flower, mother's feeling rather... tired. Would you sing for me? Then we can talk."

Sanji's eyebrows shot up, "Of course!" He exclaimed and ran to one side of the room, dragging an armchair in front of the fireplace and grabbed a small stool as well. In his anticipation to ask his mother the question, he ushered her quickly into the armchair and shoved a brush into her hands, hurrying to sit on the stool. He cleared his throat and sang the familiar words as quickly as he could.

"Flower gleam and glow,

Let your power shine,

Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine.

Heal what has been hurt,

Change the Fate's design,

Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine."

At the words and soft melody, the entire length of the young man's hair began to glow and light up in gleams of silver and gold. Kalifa had to hurry to gather the hair onto her lap and run through it with the brush. A sudden rush of energising magic ran through her and her lines and wrinkles vanished, the grey streaks in her hair recoloured and perfect once more. She blinked a few times to get over the surge of power then frowned, "Sanji! Don't-"

Sanji turned around on the stool and looked up at Kalifa's face, "So, mother. Earlier I told you that tomorrow's going to be a very big day and you didn't really respond... So, I'm just going to tell you- it's my birthday!" He grinned.

Kalifa shook her head, "No, it can't be. I distinctly remember, your birthday was last year."

Sanji laughed awkwardly, "That's the funny thing about birthdays- they're kind of an annual thing. But, I'm turning nineteen and I wanted to ask, what I really want for my birthday..." He trailed off with a little mumble, "Well, what I wanted for every birthday-"

Kalifa rolled her eyes, "Sanji, enough with the mumbling. You know how much it annoys me," Then she cooed, squeezing the teen's cheek and standing up from the chair put the brush away, "I'm just teasing, I love you so much, darling."

Sanji blinked, "Um, well, I want to see the floating lights."

Kalifa looked over her shoulder at him, "The what?"

"The floating lights," Sanji repeated and pointed to the painting on the wall. His mother glanced at it fleetingly and nodded knowingly.

"Oh, you mean the stars," She said.

Sanji shook his head and stood up from his seat, careful to step over his hair, "No, see, that's the thing. I've charted the stars," He looked up at all the constellations he'd painted on the ceiling, "And they're always constant. But these appear every year on my birthday, mother. And I want to see them. I feel as if, somehow, they're meant for me." He looked back at Kalifa, "I have to see them, mother, and not from my window. In person. I need to know what they are..."

Kalifa's eyes narrowed, "You want to go... Outside?"

Sanji nodded.

Kalifa sighed, "Oh sweetheart, look at you. As fragile as a flower. Still a little sapling, just a sprout! You know why we stay up in this tower..."

"I know but..." Sanji tried.

"That's right, to keep you safe and sound, dear! Guess I always knew this day was coming, knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest," She wagged her finger at him, "Soon, but not yet..."

"But -"

His mother hushed him before she began to sing, "Shh!

Trust me, pet

Mother knows best!"

She placed her hands on her hips and looked down at him,

"Mother knows best

Listen to your mother,

It's a scary world out there.

Mother knows best

One way or another

Something will go wrong, I swear!

Ruffians, thugs

Poison ivy, quicksand

Cannibals and snakes

The plague!"

"No!" Sanji squeaked as the things his mother told him as a child came rushing back in haunting and nightmarish images.

"Yes!" Kalifa nodded.

"But -" Sanji tried again. He may be scared of the outside world, but he had to see those lights. He had to know what they meant.

Kalifa cut him off by singing again, creeping up closer to him with each terrifying image she painted,

"Also large bugs

Men with pointy teeth, and

Stop, no more, you'll just upset me!"

Sanji froze, he'd forgotten about the men with pointy teeth that would eat him if he went outside. He backed off, heart racing as Kalifa stalked closer and closer. Suddenly she opened her arms,

"Mother's right here

Mother will protect you

Darling, here's what I suggest

Skip the drama

Stay with mama

Mother knows best!"

Sanji made for the comforting warmth and security of her embrace, but she side stepped before he could get there. She grinned wickedly,

"Mother knows best

Take it from your mumsy

On your own, you won't survive

Sloppy, underdressed

Immature, clumsy

Please, they'll eat you up alive

Gullible, naïve

Positively grubby!

Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm vague..."

She pushed the teen over towards the mirror and he tripped, tumbling over his own hair to land on his backside and stare into the glass. His mother squeezed both his cheeks as she sang,

"Plus, I believe

Gettin' kinda chubby,

I'm just saying 'cause I wuv you!"

She helped the blond to his feet and held him close and tight, stroking his hair over and over,

"Mother understands

Mother's here to help you.

All I have is one request!" She stopped singing at looked at the blond holding onto her tightly, "Sanji?"

Big blue eyes looked up, "Yes, mother?"

Kalifa scowled, "Don't ever ask to leave this tower again." Sanji nodded his head in agreement.

Kalifa kissed his hair, "I love you very much, dear."

"I love you more."

She smiled softly, "I love you most." She then quietly sang, "Don't forget it, you'll regret it. Mother knows best."

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After a quiet lunch, Kalifa left. Sanji lowered her back down the ground way way below. "I'll see you in a bit, my flower!" She called up.

Sanji sighed, "I'll be here..."

* * *

The three men ran frantically along the ground, coming to a quick rest at a tree. The thunder of hooves and yells were still slightly behind. Zoro looked up, "No," he groaned, "No, no, no! This is really bad!" He reached up and pulled the flyer of paper off the tree branch. He held it up to his face.

It was a Wanted poster asking for him either Dead or Alive. Zoro looked at it again, "They just can't get my hair right!" The bandit exclaimed as he took in the drawing of his hair which resembled a tiny lawn. His hair might be green, but it didn't look like grass damn it!

Eustass growled, "Who cares?!"

Zoro pulled the two other posters down of Kid and Killer, "Well it's easy for you to say, you guys look fine!"

A sudden whizz of air by his head had an arrow sinking into the tree. All three men looked to see the outlines of the guards moving through the trees. Kid grabbed him and pulled him along, "Come on, run!"

"Oi, oi! You don't need to lead me!"

"You get lost if no one does!"

"I do not!" Zoro snapped.

They ran with haste until a raised rock face stopped them in their tracks.

A dead end.

Zoro nodded and wriggled his arm out of Kid's grip, he walked up to the face and turned around, clapping his hands, "Right, give me a boost and I'll pull you up."

Kid scowled and held out his hand, "Give us the satchel first."

Zoro pulled a hurt face, "You don't trust me, after everything?"

Kid scowled, Killer crossed his arms. The green haired bandit raised an eyebrow, "Ouch."

He huffed, taking the bag off and put it in Kid's palm, whom attached it to his belt. Then Killer lifted Kid up onto his shoulders and Zoro scaled them both, using their shoulders as footholds. His hand trailed by Kid's belt.

He climbed onto the grassy bank above and stood up, looking down. Kid reached out, "Now pull us up!"

Zoro smirked and dangled the satchel above and out of reach, "Heh, I would but my hands are full..." He laughed and ran, Kid screaming and cursing after him.

"RORONOA!"


End file.
